As we come into the eleventh week of the UK’s coronavirus lockdown, the strain of isolation is hitting hard.

The government’s 11 May update introduced new rules for exercising, and we’ve since been given permission to have picnics and socialise with one person from outside our households as long as we maintain a two-metre distance. With social distancing advice still in place and the uproar over government aide Dominic Cummings breaching the rules to travel from London to Durham still vehemently circulating, we wouldn’t be surprised if you were getting itchy feet.

More of us are being hit with the impulse to break the rules. Though the messaging has been unhelpfully muddled, we know that coming into contact with anyone other than the people we live with isn’t just a bad idea, it’s dangerous.

“Stay alert” messaging aside, it’s incredibly important for everyone to limit exposure to coronavirus as much as possible if we’re going to see the official end of lockdown as soon as we’re hoping for. Nevertheless, isolation fatigue has definitely started to set in and it’s a difficult feeling to wrestle with.

“Isolation fatigue is when we feel we simply cannot bear the restrictions currently in place. The desire to break free overwhelms us,” explains wellbeing brand Healthspan’s chartered psychologist Dr Meg Arroll.

Isolation fatigue: why we’re suddenly impatient about lockdown ending